When it came to protecting the prize exhibits of the Cornish Mining World Heritage site, Prysmian FP200 Gold fire resistant cable was the only cable product considered by contractors Fire Crest Fire Protection.
The workings of the beam engines at East Pool Mine at Pool, near Redruth, Cornwall. The beam engines were used to pump water for the mines or to wind men and ore up and down. The engines were steam-powered.
The East Pool Mine Visitor Centre houses two great beam engines, originally powered by high-pressure steam boilers introduced by local hero Richard Trevithick. These priceless symbols of Cornwall’s industrial history are housed in a Grade One listed building which meant there could be no compromise on fire protection. So when it came to a new fire alarm system, Prysmian FP200 Gold cable was the only choice.
“It’s the only cable I would use in this situation,” says Marc Gray of Fire Crest Fire Protection. “We hold BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) accreditation to SP203. This third-party quality assurance requires us to use only cable that meets all the relevant performance standards and we can be absolutely confident that Prysmian cable products have been manufactured and tested to the highest standards.”
The project involved replacing the existing fire alarm system and because of the historical nature of the site, the cable had to be as unobtrusive as possible.
The project needed 1,500m of FP200 Gold fire resistant cable and Fire Crest chose the FP Firefix fixing system to secure the cable. “Using the FP Firefix fixing system was great, as the gas nailing tool didn’t vibrate throughout the building as a hammer drill would have done. Being able to use a quieter medium meant we didn’t have to work out of hours, and limited the dust produced by the installation, so the product helped us to complete the project within the given timescale,” says Adam Laud of Fire Crest Fire Protection.
FP200 Gold has Insudite insulation – a tough composite insulation resistant to impact, nicking and abrasion.
Marc Grey adds: “It’s easy to work with, the engineers like it, it holds its shape and doesn’t spring back into a coil when you’re fixing it. It is also supplied on a plastic drum so if it gets wet the drum does not fall apart.”
The East Pool Mine is among a number of National Trust properties being installed with fire detection and alarm equipment by Fire Crest and Prysmian FP products will feature in other architectural gems around the South West.
